


The Ones You Can't Live Without

by Scifiroots



Series: Fits and Starts [11]
Category: Dead Zone, House M.D.
Genre: April Showers Challenge, Conversations, Crossover, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-17
Updated: 2008-08-17
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:23:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scifiroots/pseuds/Scifiroots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce and Wilson think about their best friends. (If you're a slasher, you'll see pre-slash)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ones You Can't Live Without

**Author's Note:**

> A little piece of... nothing, really. So tired tonight and the idea of Bruce and Wilson talking just got into my head and stuck. I wasn't up to writing a snarky, humorous face-off between Johnny and House tonight. (Hopefully one day...)

Bruce asks, "Do you have someone who's always in your thoughts? It's hard to go a day without seeing him... most of your free time is spent with him... it's impossible to stay angry."

"Yes," James responds quietly. Bruce glances up at him with a muted smile.

"That's how it's always been with me and John. Since the day he asked me to drive him home after he got out of the hospital I've been hooked. Can't walk away." He stares at his hands as he peels the label off his beer bottle. "It's hard to remember what it was like before I met him. It's only been five years... feels like I've known him since the day I left home."

James nods silently in agreement.

"I try to think what it looks like from someone else's point of view. People must think I'm insane! I've already totaled a car, had my death predicted twice, I nearly die on a regular basis, had a glimpse of how he sees things, and I know I would let him kill me before I ever raised a hand to hurt him." Bruce gulps down his beer.

He leans back and drags a hand over his face. He gives a tired laugh. "Is it idiotic to follow him unconditionally?"

James takes a drink from his own bottle before answering. "The question is if you do so blindly. If you never question, never challenge or counter anything he says or does, is that really any sort of relationship by some stretch of the imagination?" He shakes his head. "If you stick around, keep coming back despite the arguments and heartache and exhaustion, that's about faith and dedication."

"It's love," Bruce clarifies.

James hesitates only a moment. "Yeah, I guess it is."

With a warm smile, Bruce relaxes. He rubs a hand behind his neck in exhaustion, but he looks satisfied now, traces of insecurity gone.

"No way to leave 'em, man," he says.

James sighs and wearily runs his fingers through his hair. "There really isn't. Amazing how incapable they are of asking for what they really need, don't you think?"

"Sure, but we don't ask either."

James's lips twitch towards a smile; man's got a point. He tries to imagine ever asking the question—he just can't see it. "Maybe we can't," he says.

Bruce fixes him with a steady gaze. "There's ways to avoid the verbal."

James isn't too sure of the alternative.


End file.
